Ex-intel officers speak on Plame's behalf

Ledger-Enquirer.com ^ | July 120 2005 | AP

[blogblogginaway]

WASHINGTON - Eleven former intelligence officers are speaking up on behalf of CIA officer Valerie Plame, saying leaking her identity may have damaged national security and threatens the ability of U.S. intelligence gathering.

In a statement to congressional leaders, the former officers said the Republican National Committee has circulated talking points focusing on the idea that Plame was not working undercover and deserved no protection.

There are thousands of U.S. intelligence officers who work at a desk in the Washington, D.C., area every day who are undercover as Plame was when her identity was leaked, the 11 former officers said in a three-page statement.

The former officers' statement comes amid revelations that top presidential aide Karl Rove was involved in leaking Plame's identity to columnist Robert Novak and Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper, and that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis Libby, also was a source for Cooper on the Plame story.

The leaking of Plame's identity followed public criticism leveled against the Bush White House by Plame's husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson. He suggested the administration had manipulated intelligence to justify going to war in Iraq. A criminal investigation into the leaks is ongoing.

"Intelligence officers should not be used as political footballs," the 11 said. "In the case of Valerie Plame, she still works for the CIA and is not in a position to publicly defend her reputation and honor."

[blogblogginaway]

"she still works for the CIA and is not in a position to publicly defend her reputation and honor."

I thought I just read she was on a leave of absence?

[doug from upland]

Here we go. Anti-Bush moles in the agency want to try to do some damage to him. When does Porter Goss finally clean house?

[dila813]

Who made whom a political football?

[Darkwolf377]

"she still works for the CIA and is not in a position to publicly defend her reputation and honor."

She just returned from a leave of absence, but I guess she doesn't have the right to free speech? Just the right to pose for photos for Vanity Fair?

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

11 out of thousands.
Make that 11 anonymous EX-intel officers. Okay, I'm convinced....NOT! It's a shame they could not put their names out there. Afraid of scrutiny?

[Bob]

Here we go. Anti-Bush moles in the agency want to try to do some damage to him. When does Porter Goss finally clean house?

These are all former CIA folks. Not much Goss can do about them. Of course, we're left to assume that they have no political motivations in ossuing their statement.

[silverleaf]

In the case of Valerie Plame, she still works for the CIA and is not in a position to publicly defend her reputation and honor."

She can only appear on the cover of "Vanity Fair" with her blowhard narcissistic husband who has shredded her reputation and her honor by boasting about how Valerie "outed" her Agency affiliation to him during a "heavy makeout session" on their third date....when he was still married to another woman, btw.

[Finalapproach29er]

Why did she draw attention to herself by doing a (glib) photo shoot for Vanity Fair?

[doug from upland]

You, of course, are correct. I read it and then forget it in my response. Doh.

[Amalie]

Yes, the word FORMER also struck me right away that this report stinks (as if I didn't expent it to...).

[demnomo]

I'll bet they're all Democrats...

If they are real. The leftist MSM has been known to make stuff up.

[syriacus]

Mommygate:
Joe Wilson said it's illogical to think Valerie would have pushed to have him sent overseas, since she needed him at home to help with the twins.

[sgtbono2002]

They are worse than democrats, they are subversives who had their noses so far up Clintons ass they were breathing methane.

[kcvl]

Eleven former intelligence officers

Why didn't the AP name them?!

If the CIA wants respect they need to earn it. Maybe they should spend more time worrying about TERRORISTS than sending a political hack to Niger to try to take down a sitting president.

I still want the name of THE PERSON who signed off on sending the LIAR to Niger.

[silverleaf]

"The Spy Who Shagged Me" - By J. Wilson

[Marauder]

This is total BS; she hasn't been covert in something like 9 years. There was no provision of the law broken whatsoever.

DemocRats are trolls.

[drpix]

Isn't reassuring to know that even if the CIA can't infiltrate covert agents into the ranks of those trying to destroy the U.S., the DNC has no trouble infiltrating covert party partisans into the ranks of the CIA? Real reassuring!

[FlingWingFlyer]

This probably explains why they are former intelligence officers.

[drpix]

CORRECTION: Isn't it reassuring..."

[Cboldt]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1446721/posts <- Xref